Today, September 3, Russia is celebrating the Day of Solidarity in the Fight against Terrorism, and it is also a special day: 20 years have passed since the attack on a school taken over by terrorists in Beslan. The terrorists kept children, parents and teachers without food or water for three days.
A memorial service for the victims was held in the destroyed building. The video from Beslan was published by Channel Five. Candles were lit near the photographs of the victims and fresh flowers were placed. People brought bottles of water. The religious procession then proceeded to the City of Angels monument, where the dead children were buried.
Those involved in the events of that day recounted how people were rescued after the assault on the gym where the hostages were being held.
“I had five dents in my bulletproof vest, which I discovered later. The heat was impossible, everything was burning. They had to lift him faster, and they brought him in like this, just imagine, bloody, unconscious, but alive. And here are the men who saved so many lives.” – recalls those events a veteran of the “B” department of the TsSN FSB of Russia, first vice-president of the Vympel group association Vladimir Silantiev.
“Those who were alive here, a girl, a woman, who was moving, I took them out and placed them in the locker room.” — said a veteran of the “B” department of the TsSN FSB of Russia Viacheslav Bocharov.
On 1 September 2004, terrorists held 1,128 hostages in a school gymnasium in Beslan for three days without food or water. The first explosion occurred at 13:05 on 3 September.
The attack killed 334 people. Among the dead were 186 children between the ages of one and 17 and 17 school employees.
Ten FSB officers, two representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and one employee of the Ministry of the Interior were also killed. Another 117 victims were relatives and friends of students who had come to congratulate them on Knowledge Day. More than 800 people were injured and 72 children were left disabled.
Every year, a three-day Vigil in Memory of Victims of Terrorism is held in Beslan.
